Uganda has officially declared the end of its 2026 Ebola outbreak after completing the World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended 42-day monitoring period without recording any new infections.

Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced the milestone, saying the country had successfully interrupted transmission following the discharge of the last Ugandan Ebola patient on June 16, 2026.

According to the Ministry of Health, the 2026 outbreak differed from previous Ebola outbreaks because it originated from a fully documented importation event rather than an unexplained community outbreak.

"The source of infection was identified, the route of introduction established, all confirmed cases were epidemiologically linked, transmission chains were completely characterised and reconstructed, and all identified contacts were institutionally quarantined and completed the mandatory 21-day follow-up without evidence of further transmission," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that enhanced surveillance conducted across the country detected no unexplained community transmission, paving the way for Uganda to officially declare the outbreak over after meeting the internationally recognised 42-day criterion.

Health officials explained that every confirmed Ebola case during the outbreak was linked through contact tracing, enabling investigators to reconstruct the complete chain of transmission. All identified contacts were monitored for the mandatory 21-day incubation period and none developed the disease.

The outbreak, which began in May 2026, was traced to an imported case from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), making it a cross-border public health event. According to health authorities, Uganda recorded 20 confirmed Ebola cases, including two deaths, before successfully containing the outbreak through rapid case detection, isolation of patients, contact tracing, quarantine and intensified surveillance.

The WHO recommends declaring an Ebola outbreak over only after 42 consecutive days, equivalent to two incubation periods. These have passed since the last confirmed patient tested negative or was discharged, with no additional cases detected.

Although Uganda has now been declared Ebola-free, health authorities are expected to maintain heightened surveillance, particularly in border districts, due to the continued risk of imported infections from neighbouring countries experiencing Ebola outbreaks.

Uganda has earned international recognition in recent years for its ability to rapidly detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks through coordinated surveillance systems, laboratory testing, emergency response teams and community engagement.

The successful containment of the 2026 Ebola outbreak marks another significant achievement for Uganda's public health system while reinforcing the importance of continued vigilance against cross-border disease threats.